From The Normans: Things that make you go hmmmm

We've been having issues for a week or so with a sometimes very unhappy baby. Gassy. Spit-uppy. Gulping his food. Not sleeping well during the day. So we're working on some theories to make the boy happier.

Going theory number 1: Reflux. Undeveloped digestive system doesn't keep digestive acids down in the stomach where they belong, so they get spit up and make a baby sad. Part of the solution? This sleep wedge thingy, that keeps his head elevated while sleeping. Trying to let gravity keep reflux down where it belongs. The verdict so far? Inconclusive. Except to say that the sleep wedge thingy makes Dex sleep in some wompy positions.

Theory number 2: Something I am eating is making the boy sad. Easiest culprit to eliminate? Dairy products. So I am currently working on a dairy-free diet. Meaning no milk, and (booooo) no cheese. NO CHEESE!! What's a girl to do without cheese?? Verdict? Inconclusive. I just started the no dairy thing today. As well as the keeping track of everything I eat thing. Which actually may come in pretty handy to lose some baby weight. Do I really want that piece of chocolate if I have to write it down? Maybe. Maybe not. OK - yes, I still want it and I will still eat it.

Theory number 3: Overactive let down. Meaning? My boobs. They are FAR too efficient. Must feed baby! More! MORE! So milk goes shooting in to Dexter at a high velocity, causing gulping, gas, reflux, and generally sad baby. The symptoms?

Some identifying features of the baby whose mother has overactive let-down are:

The baby is gaining weight rapidly - often more than one ounce a day (ummm, linebacker of a baby - CHECK!)
Normal Development (CHECK!)
Frequent wet diapers and frequent, explosive stools - often green (CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!)
Gulping, choking, sputtering at the breast(CHECK!)
Arches, pulls off the breast and cries (CHECK!)
Frequent, brief feeds (hmmm. not really)
Seems to feed more contentedly at night (CHECK!)
Never appears satisfied (not sure what this means. Given the current state of my crying baby, I am going to go with a half-hearted CHECK)
Makes grunting noises during sleep (CHECK!)
May spit up a lot (CHECK!)

So we'll try out a few things to try to resolve the situation. Apparently just telling my brests to CALM DOWN ALREADY is not going to work...

Fortunately for the crying child, he is wicked cute when he is sleeping. Actually, he is wicked cute any time he is not crying. So for about 3/4 of the day. The other quarter of the day Mom wishes she had ear plugs.